But they were descending suddenly, spiraling down in tight circles to the silver forest below. Lucca’s descent was so fast that Ariana had to resume her grip on him as her stomach lurched. It was like eagles death-diving as they plummeted; as her heart hammered, Ariana fought to not shut her eyes. But even as the silver-green Mediterranean forest rushed up, she felt how tightly Lucca maneuvered their fall – expert at flying, they sliced like a knife through the canopy of cork oak, cherry laurel, and European olive trees, arriving at their destination. Flying up to a towering silver-white tree with a quick snap of his aura-wings, the Summer Fae Prince alighted upon a massive branch of the ancient giant, as thick as he was tall.
And then let Ariana slide down his body – purposefully, as his strong hands held her close.
“We’re here.” He spoke low as she tried to regain her breath, still clutching him in shock and exhilaration from their flight – and fear of tumbling off the massive branch they stood on, over a hundred feet up from the ground.
“Where’s here?” Ariana gasped, having not really gotten a good look, they’d flown in so fast. As she glanced around in Lucca’s arms now, she saw they had arrived at a massive tree that branched like an oak, but was tall, as immense as a redwood as it towered far above the rest of the forest. With luminous silver bark and fluttering silver-white leaves with clusters of shining white berries throughout its reaches, it was a tree that didn’t grow in the human world, Ariana knew as she glanced up, taking it in.
And as she admired it, her breath stolen by its ancient beauty, she realized that the enormous limb they stood on belonged to a massive treehouse, growing in wild abandon through the heart of the trunk and the stoutest of the spreading limbs. As if Lord of the Rings met the best elvish fantasy art, it spread with a sequence of lofted arches and bowers, twinkling silver-blue lights and ornate rooms all through the ancient tree.
Gargantuan, the tree and the abode it contained were like an elegant mansion, all the rooms open to the night as silver-gold and gossamer fabrics shone within. Scroll-worked and ornate, every arch was crafted from the tree, its silver bark and twisting limbs grown over time to create beautiful stairways and bowers, halls and decadent vaults. Faeanic script and sigils were laid into the tree; but as Lucca kept an arm around Ariana’s waist, escorting her closer, she saw the sigils were actually sculpted from the tree’s silver bark rather than carved into it. All through the treehouse, Ariana watched those sigils shimmer beneath the moon and starlight penetrating through the canopy. And as Lucca escorted her up a flight of silver-bark steps into the main hall, with clever sitting-niches like a parlor and beautiful drapes and twisted weaves of branches for screens, Ariana knew what this was.
A Livingtree – a Summer Fae’s most personal abode, grown from nature itself.
“Welcome to Valorhome.” Lucca spoke softly as Ariana took it all in, amazed. “This Livingtree is my sanctuary when I’ve had too much of palace life. It’s been a Royal Summer Fae retreat for generations, but fell into disrepair as my kin forgot about it. I revived it. And I must say, it’s coming along nicely.”
“Coming along?” Ariana raised her eyebrows as she turned to him. “You mean it’s not finished?”
“A Fae’s treehouse is never finished, Ariana Summers.” Lucca chuckled, reaching out to stroke a balustrade of twisted silver wood that curved up around the inside of the trunk to a second level, other rooms sprouting off the main one. As if his touch woke something deep inside the tree, Ariana heard a sudden groan of wood all around them. Though she was alarmed, a deep flow of the Prince’s power soothed her – pouring into the tree through his touch. As he fed it his essence, the groaning of the tree suddenly smoothed into deeper harmonics, like music from the earth. And as Ariana felt the tree give a massive sigh, shuddering all through its branches and roots, she felt a surge of Lucca’s energy rush through the tree’s lifeblood. It was drinking Lucca’s power, she realized with a shock. And as Ariana watched, the balustrade Lucca touched suddenly burst into flower all along its length.
The silver wood carving into beautiful new Feaenic sigilsde novo.
“Did you do that, or the tree?” Ariana asked, astounded.
“A bit of both.” Lucca chuckled as he stroked the now-flowering balustrade. “The ecstasy of nature is an extension of our Fae powers, Ariana – it’s not just a Royal Summer Fae trait, though I have it more than most. Fae feed the world around us with our magic… and the world gives back, providing us joy with what is made.”
“And reveling in that joy gives us more life.” Ariana commented, seeing the fascinating cycle that a Fae living close to nature produced. It was something she had only heard about, but had never seen demonstrated by her father, guarding his magics so closely in the human world like he had. But now, something in the tree and the woods and the living night all around Ariana called to her as she took a turn, admiring Lucca’s amazing space.
And knowing that it was nature itself, calling to her Fae side.
But as Lucca watched her enjoy his sanctuary home, there was suddenly something deeper in his eyes. “You took a vast risk tonight, Ariana, forsaking Quinn’s protection at the Hotel to come here with me. Why?”
“Because if this works, it’s my best shot at living my own life.” Ariana answered honestly, though she suddenly felt something else needed to be said. “And I… needed to get away from Quinn.”
“Has he harmed you?” Prince Lucca bristled suddenly as he watched Ariana, his blue eyes darkening.
“No.” Ariana shook her head quickly, though she also frowned. “He’s been nothing but kind, really. He’s explained to me where I stand with him, and he’s been upfront about how he would use my power. But he’s… conflicted around me. The things people say about him… he’s honest, but I know he’s hiding things. And I feel like I can trust him, but his heart—”
“Is untouchable.” Prince Lucca commented quietly now, his gaze acknowledging as he weighed Ariana. She noticed he did not refute her statements, nor try to convince her differently as he stared her down. In his gaze, Ariana saw that ancient sadness again, as if somehow the way things had turned out with his childhood friend had broken Lucca’s heart over the centuries.
“Devi told me that Quinn doesn’t let himself love anyone, because of his old Sire Emiliana.” Ariana spoke quietly now as she cocked her head at Lucca, curious. “Do you know why, exactly? You seemed to know Devi in the cemetery when we met, and you’ve known Quinn since you were both Fae… so do you know his Vampire history?”
“I know a good deal of it, but not all of it. Especially not the deeper parts that involve Emiliana.” Lucca answered, though his gaze was darkly thoughtful now. “Quinn and I have known each other a long while, Ariana. We were friends as boys, and even after he was Sired, he and I remained two very influential persons in Florence. We have had interactions over the years, and even as a Vampire, there was a time when he was welcome at the Summer Fae Court. He is not welcome anymore.”
“Why not?” Ariana asked, seeing a new side to Quinn’s problems – that he wanted her to be his emissary at Fae Court not just because Vampires were banned from showing up there, but because he was banned from having an audience, personally.
“History.” Prince Lucca spoke abruptly, as if he didn’t wish to say more. Ariana practically felt him clam up then, as his power gave a hot shimmer of rainbows all around them in the tree-hall, then faded away. Smiling wryly, Lucca waved a hand. “But we waste the night, Ariana. It’s already past midnight and we need to prepare you for what you will face tomorrow at Fae Court with the Magistros. History lessons between Quinn’s Florentine Vampires and the Summer Fae can wait.”
“Will you fill me in later, if we win tomorrow? About both the Florentine politics and about Quinn?” Ariana asked, strangely feeling like she needed to know more about both subjects to understand where she fit between Quinn and Lucca.
“I will tell you more later, yes.” Lucca nodded, though there was something conflicted in his eyes now. “Win or lose. But we really should go prepare. Would you like a change of clothing while we work?”
With a blink, Ariana realized she was still in her slinky negligee and silk robe from the Hotel, and that she’d been chatting casually with the Summer Fae Prince for nearly half an hour, practically undressed. She’d also been gripped tight in his arms as they’d flown here, and Ariana suddenly knew he’d felt everything of her body as they’d traveled, even though he’d been a gentleman. She flushed hard now, crossing her arms though it didn’t help. Her outfit still poured down her slender curves without remorse, and she saw the Fae Prince lift an eyebrow.
The tiniest smile curling his lovely lips.
“Come.” He spoke with humor in his voice now, though he didn’t actually laugh at her, his blue eyes beaming. “Let’s find you something better to wear so you’ll be more comfortable. And then we’llhit the booksas humans say in their world.”
“You know human slang?” Ariana blinked.
